England v Czech Republic
Wednesday 20 August 2008
Wembley Stadium
Kick-off 8pm
Click here for ticket details 

In a recent interview, England manager and LMA President Fabio Capello told the new League Manager's Association magazine, The Manager, how he’s finding his feet, six months after taking charge of The Three Lions...

"Since I arrived in January, I’ve been very happy with life here in England. London is a wonderful city to live in, although I think I know the M6 motorway better than anywhere else in England!

"Everyone has made me feel very welcome and I’ve had great support from The FA. I’m very impressed with everything I’ve seen at the organisation; the staff work very hard so my coaches and I can get on with the job.

"I want to understand as much as I can about England – not just football, but the people and culture. I’ve been determined to improve my English as quickly as possible, and have had a lesson most days since January. I’m now more confident when speaking publicly, although I’ll continue to improve."

Building relationships

"It’s very important that I have good relationships with the club managers here. I understand how it feels as a club manager when your players leave to play for the national side. We all have different priorities. Mine is to make the England team successful, but we must all work together.

"While I know some managers very well, I want to know all of them better. I’m interested to see how Scolari works at Chelsea. I know him well from Roma – he’s a good man and will do a good job.

"It’s important for me to understand the views and attitudes in this country. Alan Curbishley and David Moyes told me recently about the tradition of managers meeting informally after a match. Next season, I aim to follow their suggestion to join managers after games when I can."

A different level

"At a club you have the players every day, so you can work to improve things quickly. The players soon understand what you want them to do, your principles and the style of play you’re after.

"You can train every day, and go through things before and after training. And, if a game doesn’t go well, you can try to put it right in the next one, a few days later.

"With the national team, you see a lot less of the players. This is not a complaint; you know it will be the case when you take the job. But it means it’s vital to make the most of the time you have. You have to be clear about what you want to achieve and ensure the players understand this.

"When you’re together for a longer period, it’s important to develop relationships and build team spirit. Group mentality is even more important at international level."

The fear factor

"The biggest challenge is getting individuals to play for England like they do for their clubs. There has been a lack of confidence among players and it’s my job to rebuild that.

"There’s a lot of pressure when playing for your country and this has perhaps weighed down too heavily on some players. We need to free them of that so they can play naturally, without fear.

"English players have always had a reputation for a great work ethic. But I’ve also been impressed by their level of skill and technique. This combination will help us succeed. I’m certainly very happy with the players I have in the England squad."

The interview with Fabio can be found in The Manager magazine, which is available to download from www.leaguemanagers.com